Summoning Genius of the Necromancer Academy - Chapter 1 There is no romance in the life of a baron's heir. A remote, rural territory, so far-flung that its very existence is questionable to the central powers. Beneath a cloudless, clear sky, the windmills of the mill spun vigorously, and cows and goats grazed in the vast pastures. Thwack. Thwack. In the forest on the opposite side, the village men were busy logging. The boisterous laughter suggested that good-natured Robert had cracked another joke. Life in this small territory was a peaceful slow-life, in its purest form. Still, Simon was quite content with life here. "Simon. What do you think is the most important virtue a lord should possess?" While Simon was lost in thought for a moment, his father, Richard, who was walking beside him, posed the question. Startled by the sudden query, Simon quickly racked his brain. "Hmm… tolerance? Perhaps." Richard smiled gently. "Not a bad answer." "Then what's a good answer?" Richard slowly raised his arm and placed a hand over his chest. "A warm heart." Simon blinked, surprised by the unexpected reply. "…Pardon?" "Just as leaves change their attire with each season, the virtues a lord needs also change with the situation." Richard gently stroked Simon's head and chuckled. "A lord must be able to be a friend, a parent, and even a villain. But a lord who treats people with a warm heart will always have the power to convey sincerity, no matter the situation. That is the bond of a lord and his people." "My Lord!" Richard and Simon turned their heads. Several grown men were carrying a large log on their shoulders, and by their expressions, it seemed quite heavy. "Forgive us for interrupting your stroll! If it's not too much trouble, could we ask for 'that'?" "Gladly, Charles." Simon glanced at his father with a hint of tension. Richard Pollentia was an ordinary country lord, but he had one special characteristic. "Step back, Simon." Richard closed his eyes and quickly, quietly chanted a few incantations before spreading his palm. A black aura floated up into the sky, transforming into the shape of a magic circle. Simon looked around cautiously. As the magic circle activated, the surrounding trees and bushes rustled. 'It's coming!' The ground rippled, turning into a black swamp, and arms surged from it, waving as if yearning for the sun. These arms were devoid of flesh, made entirely of white bone fragments. Undead. Monsters with a blind aggression towards the living. However, in this territory, a situation completely contrary to that common knowledge was unfolding. Clack. Clatter. The skeletons, having risen from the ground, rushed forward and began to help support the logs that the men were carrying. "Thank you, My Lord!" The villagers, far from fearing the skeletons, were smiling broadly, as if thinking, 'We're saved!' "Keep up the good work." That's right. Simon's father was a Necromancer. *** It had been quite some time since Necromancers came to dominate half the world. It began with the Talhern Empire. When the Emperor of Talhern sent a 50,000-strong army to Kizen, the Necromancers' stronghold, to break free from their influence, Kizen dispatched only 10 Necromancers. Just 10. And it was here that a historical event known as the 'Rose Retreat' occurred: the 50,000-strong army heading for Kizen turned their horses around and returned to the imperial capital. All of them, as undead. The capital of Talhern was devastated, and the Emperor surrendered to Kizen. Subsequently, the throne of Talhern was occupied by a decaying corpse that 'was once the Emperor'. The empire's civil and military officials bowed their heads to a pile of rotting flesh, and tens of millions of imperial citizens were manipulated by the puppet show of a 30-year-old decaying corpse. A fragment of history that showcased the power and terror of Necromancers. Necromancers, having risen as the mainstream of the era, gradually expanded their influence, now holding sway over half the continent. The other half was occupied by 'Priests', their sole opposition. Decades had passed since the 100-year war between these two sharply opposing forces. The continent now enjoyed a somewhat precarious peace. '…That probably has nothing to do with our territory, though.' To Simon, this history of war felt like a story from a distant land. If he were to list the biggest events that had recently occurred in Reshill, the territory he would one day govern, they would be Charles's cow, which had been quiet for a while, giving birth to two healthy calves, and Kalon slipping while cleaning the floor with a mop, requiring three stitches on his forehead. Simon let out a silly chuckle as he arrived at the lord's manor. Oh, of course, the name 'lord's manor' was just what the villagers affectionately called it; in truth, it was just an ordinary wooden house. Compared to even poor lords who maintained small fortresses for the sake of their dignity, Richard, the lord of Reshill, was exceedingly modest. Creak. "Mom, I'm home." Opening the door and stepping inside, a comforting scent of wood filled the air. In the fireplace on the wall, logs crackled and burned. "Simon! You're back?" A woman with ash-gray hair, wearing an apron, poked her head out from the kitchen. It was Simon's mother, Anna Pollentia. "Yes, I just helped with the logging in the village." "Have you eaten?" "…I had lunch earlier, didn't I?" "I baked some bread with the leftover dough, so spread some jam on it and eat." She must be possessed by a ghost who died from not feeding her child enough. His mother, Anna, was the kind of person who couldn't rest until she had fed everyone around her, regardless of the time. Simon pretended not to hear and pointed to a tray on the table. "Mom, what's this?" "It's water steeped with Rehak Mushrooms." Rehak Mushrooms were poisonous fungi often found in the Southern Mountain Range; simply steeping them in water would cause a green, oily substance to float to the surface like this. Eating it would cause a week of stomachaches and diarrhea, but if it passed through Anna's hands, it was a different story. She rolled up her sleeves, approached, and placed her hand over the water steeped with Rehak Mushrooms. Whoosh! "Wow!" Simon, watching, let out a small gasp of admiration. As a white light shimmered from her hand, the poison began to neutralize. The green impurities floating on top vanished as if in a painting, leaving only the mushroom's nutrients intact. The white aura that emanated from her body when she purified poison—a power commonly called 'divinity'—was the symbol of a Priest. That's right. Simon was born to a Necromancer and a Priest. Simon had never properly heard what had happened between his parents. He only knew that the two had shared a forbidden love, like something out of a fairy tale, and he was the result. "Simon!" Anna's voice called out; she must have gone back into the kitchen at some point. "I baked an apple pie, eat some!" "…Ah, alright." *** Another day passed as always. Simon, his body weary, lay down on his bed. Reshill was quiet today, and it would be quiet tomorrow. Simon fell asleep, believing without a doubt that this peaceful daily life would never change. But. Flutter! The change had already begun. A letter, flying in from outside the window, slapped against Simon's face. "Ugh." Simon lifted his arm to peel it off and opened his eyes. "Hello?" Simon blinked at the unfamiliar voice. Someone was sitting by the window, bathed in the melancholic moonlight. The girl with beautiful silver hair that reached her legs exuded an atmosphere so alien it was mystical. It was as if he was looking at a forest fairy who had just popped out of a fairy tale. "It's time." A voice as sweet as honey resonated, waking him from his sleep. Simon, who had been momentarily dumbfounded, quietly pulled his blanket up over his head. "Don't pretend you didn't see me!" The girl's expression turned exasperated as she climbed down from the window. "You saw me! Get up, hurry!" At her persistent shouting, Simon reluctantly threw off his blanket and groggily sat up. "…How did you get here? Are you lost? Where's your mom?" The girl sighed softly, then regained her composure and smiled. The moonlight streamed through the window, making her silver hair glow even more enchantingly. "I came to the right place. I came to see you, Simon Pollentia." Simon's expression showed surprise. She knew his name. "…Me? Why?" "Read that letter." Her voice was solemn, unbefitting her age. Simon carefully broke the seal and opened the envelope. A rustling sound was heard, revealing a stiff piece of paper folded in half. Bang! "Simon!" "Simon! What was that noise just now?" The bedroom door burst open, and Richard and Anna entered. The couple and the silver-haired girl met each other's gaze. "Ah…!" "Lady Neptis!" Their faces lit up, as if they weren't meeting for the first time. The girl also smiled and waved her hand. "Long time no see! Richard, Anna!" The three began to chat excitedly. Simon felt suddenly left out as he watched them. His father, Richard, had a flushed expression like a boy, and his mother, Anna, was fussing about preparing a meal immediately. "Simon. Greet her properly with due respect." Richard said. "This is Lady Neptis Arcbold." Wait, just a moment. That name sounds very familiar? Neptis Arcbold. Neptis Arcbold. No, then, surely…! 'Neptis Arcbold of Kizen!' The pinnacle of all Necromancers who ruled Kizen. The mastermind behind the 'Talhern Incident' who turned an empire's emperor into a corpse puppet. The Witch of Death who had lived for 300 years. That girl was her? 'Then what is this?' Simon tremblingly pulled out the letter. "I formally propose this to you. Simon Pollentia." As Simon read the letter, the girl's voice resonated in his ears like a song. [Kizen Admission Notice - Simon Pollentia] "Come to Kizen."
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